


Vulnerable

by XdeadhumanX



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Muskrat Farm, Out of Character Hannibal Lecter, Sad, hannibal is out of character, hannibal is vulnerable, sorry for the ooc, will comforts him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:01:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24938701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XdeadhumanX/pseuds/XdeadhumanX
Summary: Hannibal has a nightmare about the events at Muskrat farm, and Will comforts him.
Relationships: Will Graham & Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 1
Kudos: 67





	Vulnerable

**Author's Note:**

> My apologies, this is rather short. And if you read the tags you can see Hanni is a bit out of character in this, but I had to write him that way to fit the story. It took me a while to write (because I never knew how to continue it) and it's not my best, but nonetheless I hope you guys enjoy it!

_ Flesh burns as crimson iron presses to skin. Muscles tense, but there is no scream. Just the shutting of eyes and a sharp release of breath, and the fire eventually passes. The symbol of Muskrat Farm now has permanent residence on his back, to be a constant reminder of the demeaning ways he was treated.  _

_ Strung up in a pen, an animal. Naked, aching, wound burning —  _

Hannibal wakes with a gasp. Sweat glistens on his body and drips off the tip of his nose as he sits up and reaches, placing a hand on his back. It doesn’t burn — the brand is just a scar now. 

The man startles when he feels a hand on his shoulder and he turns to see Will, a rather worried look on his face. “Hannibal? Are you alright? Usually I’m the one waking up soaked with sweat,” he says the last bit with a joking tone, trying to lighten Hannibal’s apparent unease. 

“I’m fine,” Hannibal says, ignoring Will’s attempt at humor. 

Will sighs and removes his hand from Hannibal’s shoulder. “I saw you touching the brand. You had a nightmare about the farm, didn’t you?”

Hannibal’s lip twitches when Will mentions Muskrat Farm and he turns further away from the man, afraid he won’t be able to keep his facial expressions in check. “I simply had a dream. And it’s hot in here,” he says, referring to the sweat still dripping down his body that Will was staring at. 

“You’re cold. I can see the goosebumps, and you’re shaking,” Will notes.

Hannibal sighs. “Will…,” his head lowers a tad as he trails off.

Will bites his lip and gently grabs onto Hannibal’s chin, lifting his head and turning it to face him. “Hannibal. Are you alright?”

Hannibal struggles to clear his mind and wipe any expression off his face, show that he’s fine, that the events at Muskrat Farm hardly affected him. But he can’t. Flashes of his dream return to him and he draws in a shaky breath. “... No. I don’t think I am,” Hannibal replies, the words nearly sticking in his throat. Had anyone else asked that question, he would have lied and said he’s okay. But he can’t lie to Will. 

“It was so demeaning,” Hannibal continues, his eyes looking past Will into the darkness of the bedroom, “being branded, strung up naked in a pen like an animal.” He swallows thickly. “Had Alana and Margot not shown up, I would have been eaten like one too.” 

Will bites his lip, simply listening to Hannibal as he has no clue what to say. The man, even now after everything, is rarely vulnerable with him. Never shows when he’s hurting. Perhaps he just doesn’t want to seem weak, believes Will would think less of him if he opened himself up in that way. 

When Will sees tears threatening to brim in Hannibal’s eyes he wraps his arms around the man, embracing him. 

Hannibal buries his face in the crook of Will’s neck as he embraces him and squeezes his eyes shut, holding back the tears beginning to build in his eyes. 

“Hannibal… I’m sorry, I just — I don’t know what to say..,” Will says softly as he rubs Hannibal’s back. 

Hannibal tightens his grip on Will slightly. “That’s alright. You needn’t say anything.”

The two embrace for a long while, Will moving his hand in soothing circles on Hannibal’s back and Hannibal breathing in Will’s scent — dogs and that god awful aftershave, kept too long in the bottle. 

Eventually Hannibal pulls away and smiles when Will looks at him. 

Will can tell it isn’t real though. It doesn’t reach the man’s eyes. “Are you alright Hannibal?”

“You see right through me don’t you?” Hannibal sighs. “I’ll be fine in the morning. Why don’t we just get some rest?”

Will bites his lip. “Are you sure?”

Hannibal smiles again — a real one this time. “Positive. Come now, sleep,” he says before planting a soft kiss on Will’s lips and laying down, wrapping his arms around Will when he follows suit. 

Will stays awake until Hannibal falls asleep, and even then he stays up a bit longer just to make sure the man is alright. When he’s assured he is sleeping soundly Will finally rests his head and shuts his eyes, drifting off into darkness. 


End file.
